The type of women’s bodies are classified according to the proportions between shoulders, waist and hips. Based on this, some guidelines make it look more harmonic. There are many women’s body types, but they can mainly be classified them into 5 groups: triangle, inverted triangle, oval, rectangular, and hourglass, and some variables of them.
To find out which the body type of your clients is, it is very important that you take their measurements and not only rely on your visual perception, since this can be very subjective. Take the centimeters of the width of their shoulders, waist and hips in order to find their body type:
- Oval or apple: Curvy silhouette, low waist and usually a little fat accumulation in the abdomen. The waist is somewhat wide compared to the shoulders and hips, which are narrower, giving the illusion that your silhouette is rounded. The bust is prominent and the neck is short.
- Hourglass: Shoulders aligned with the hips and narrow and defined waist. So, the shoulders and hips are in the same proportion, and the waist is narrower.
- Rectangular: Shoulders, waist and hips are aligned, the waist is barely shaped. The waist is wide, but it maintains the same proportion of shoulders and hips. Generally the buttocks and the bust are discreet, presenting less curves.
- Triangle or pear: The hips are much more prominent than the waist and shoulders, which are quite narrow. In addition, the thighs are wide, the bust is small and the neck is long.
- Inverted triangle: The shoulders are wider than the hips, and even the ribs may be somewhat prominent. It is also very common for the upper waist -that is, the measurement of the height from the waist to the neck- to be higher than the waist to the hips. They tend to have a more athletic appearance.
HOW TO DRESS ACCORDING TO THE BODY TYPE
Beyond the body type, remember that the color of the clothes is essential when flattering the best features of women’s bodies. Dark colors always tend to flatter and visually slim people down. Remember that monochrome outfits make people look taller and slimmer. Finding the right style to dress will allow women not only to look their best, but also to make the most of their body features. To do this, it is necessary to identify the body type and know which clothes are most flattering for their image. The best option is to order custom-tailored clothes that fit them perfectly.
Apple Body
An oval body type needs to decrease the volume of the center of its figure. The objective will be to mark the waist and lengthen the silhouette. Take attention away from the middle part of the body.
- Avoid both very tight and oversize garments.
- Leave aside the patterns and better select plain clothes.
- Regarding the pants, the best options are straight or flared ones.
- The best dress options are the empire cut and the belted ones that are cinched between the bottom of the chest and the waist.
- The ¾ sleeves will greatly flatter the body.
- V-necklines are also essential for women with this body type.
- Another way to narrow the waist is by enlarging the shoulders with prominent sleeves.
- Avoid thick belts, which will draw attention to the middle part of the body, as well as tight blouses.
- Select tops or dresses that flow from the bust and expand at the waist.
- It looks good if the woman shows the legs, regardless if they are tall or short.
Hourglass Body
This is the type of body considered the most harmonious. The ideal is to emphasize one of the areas of the body. The outfits should show the waist.
- T-shirts and blouses will be perfect if they have a round or V neckline.
- For instance, a belt will help draw all the attention to the curvaceous areas of the silhouette.
- High-waisted pants like boyfriend or skinny ones look good for this body type.
- Never cover the waist with a long blouse. Instead, the shirt should be worn inside the pants.
- Avoid loose clothing because it will not highlight the body’s good features. It will make the person look more rectangular.
- Choose blouses with a ”V” neck. This type of cut will attract attention to the waist and will highlight the face and neck.
- Other bottoms like pencil skirts look great on people with hourglass bodies.
- The jumpsuits also are flattering for this type of body shape.
Rectangular Body
Similarly to the hourglass body type, people with the rectangular silhouette need to accentuate the waist. For this type of figure, the chest and the waist have to appear balanced.
- The waist must be accentuated either with high pants and a belt, fitted dresses in this area and bell-shaped midi lengths, short jackets, or V-necklines.
- Choose clothes that give the woman volume at the top of the body, such as blouses with puffy sleeves, blouses with ruffles, or blouses with shoulder pads.
- High-waisted pants will draw attention to the waist.
- Other excellent options are A-line skirts and jackets with shoulder pads that enlarge the upper part and narrow the central area, although this effect can also be achieved with shirts.
- Layered tops can add volume to the bust.
Pear Body
The shoulders tend to be narrow or under-bust, while the hips are more prominent. It is best to draw attention to the upper part of the body and try to neutralize the lower area. The ideal is to focus on the part of the shoulders to make them visually wider.
- Some flattering outfit ideas for this type of body are: square or peak necklines, gathered sleeves, shoulder pads, short jackets, and prints.
- Emphasize the waist with bell-shaped dresses that have some flare and loose pants in plain tones. Choose pants with neutral colors and a bit loose to hide the width of the hips.
- The dresses should be fitted above the waist with a loose fall.
- Colors and patterns will flatter the woman as the focus will be on the upper part of the body.
- Avoid patterns in the lower part as it will give more volume.
- Avoid blouses or shirts that fall on the hips as this will give much more volume to the body.
- Bet on jackets with structure and fitted at the waist.
Inverted Triangle Body
This type of body is also called athletic body since women with this body type usually have a pronounced bust. Women with an inverted triangle body should wear clothes that highlight their hips. Add volume to the hip area. To balance this body type, the strategy is to make the lower part of the body look a little bit wider and the upper body narrower.
- Bet on prints, except for vertical stripes.
- Avoid tight clothing.
- Opt for pleated or “elephant” leg pants and dresses with a midi length and a lot of flare.
- Empire cuts will also favor the person with an inverted triangle body.
- Some heels will flatter this type of body.
- At the top, dark tones and round or long necklines will visually reduce the width of the shoulders.
- Blouses and tops should have muted colors so that they do not draw attention to the shoulders.
- With a suitable cut in the neck, the width of the shoulders will be hidden.
- A V neckline makes the upper part look narrower.
Download the STYiLES app now on App Store or Google Play to start enjoying a premium image consulting experience. The app is the smartest way to connect image-conscious clients, professional image consultants, and specialized merchants, all on one platform.
Also, the image consultant Jen Auh shares more tips and tricks on how to build an elite image consulting business in her first book STYiLES, available on August 22nd. Sign up to get your copy and learn more about the world of professional image consulting.
If you have any questions, contact us at styiles@styiles.com.
